All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

The Q&A session following the Free Realms-centric keynote speech, delivered earlier today by Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley at GDC Austin, contained a hopeful tidbit for those looking to play the aforementioned free-to-play MMO on their consoles. When we asked about the release window for the PS3 version of Free Realms, Smedley cheekily replied, "I'm wondering, too!" He then added, "It's next year sometime, toward the middle of the year." During his speech, Smedley also addressed the functions which would be specifically tailored for the MMO's console outing, saying, "For the PlayStation 3 version, it's very likely that the Eye is going to be something we support." We hope the Eye's implementation isn't of a voyeuristic nature -- if there's anything our late-night Uno sessions taught us, it's Camera + Internet Strangers = Terror.

More screens here Discover a colorful universe where playing is always a pleasure with Pop Island for Nintendo DSi! Colourful and quirky, Pop Island is an all-action capture the flag game where you pick which team to compete on before running, jumping and spinning your way around the island in an attempt to collect the priceless flags [...]

Direct link here More screens here After centuries of war, humans have defeated dragons. To prevent dragons from gathering their hidden fortune and strength, they have divided their land into four different elements: Fire, Ice, Earth and Wind. Rogue dragons without gems have seized their opportunity to attack and kill the noble dragons. As the last heir [...]

Check out more screens here See double in a convention-shattering Nintendo DSiWare adventure! The challenging and addictive Reflection combines 2D platforming with puzzle elements as players take control of both an adventurous young girl called Kirra and her mirror image. Kirra has been tasked with retrieving a magical mirror. But upon accidentally breaking the mirror, she shatters [...]

Shortly after the announcement of the Limited Edition Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundle, we had a chance to grill Microsoft's Albert Penello, director of platform marketing for Xbox, about the bundle. While Pinello confirmed the bundle's absence of any additional accessories - no high-definition cables, no WiFi adapter - he also commented on the 250GB hard drive. When asked if Microsoft had any plans to sell the significantly embiggened hard drive separately, Pinello said, "I wouldn't say plans. Maybe. I hear this story every two years. It was the 20s, and then the 60s, and then the 120s." Not that you could afford it anyway. So, Microsoft doesn't have "plans" per se, but Pinello pointed out that, historically, these things become available separately. Until then, if you want a massive 250GB of Xbox storage, your only avenue is purchasing the $399 Modern Warfare 2 bundle.

We've just received word from Tecmo that Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's demo will be gracing the US PSN one week after Japan gets it on September 24. Unfortunately, Tecmo wouldn't offer anything on what the demo would entail; the company did not confirm any co-op for the demo, let alone which part of the game it would take place in. But hey, it's a free demo and we certainly aren't complaining -- mostly because we don't want to be on that Ryu cat's bad side.

Chair Entertainment is ready to lay the smack down on Shadow Complex cheaters. Major Nelson sends word that Microsoft will take action this week against those "verified as cheaters," deleting their records from the Shadow Complex leaderboards, as well as resetting their associated accounts' Gamerscore. Worse still, said accounts will be branded on Xbox.com (and dashboard) as belonging to cheaters.For those looking to brush up on what constitutes cheating on Xbox Live, feel free to review Microsoft's policy on "Gamerscore corrections." Of course, if you're a cheater, then you probably already know.

Eager to show its disconnected patrons that their Wiis can do more than Wii Sports -- you don't even have to eject the disc! -- Nintendo has appointed pretty much anyone in Europe savvy enough to visit Wii's Connection Settings menu an "Ambassador." Here's how the "Connection Ambassador Promotion" works: Beginning in October (as seen in Japan), if you help another Wii owner establish an online connection, you and your incompetent friend will both receive five Nintendo bucks (500 Wii Points). (Presumably, when connecting for the first time, there will be an option to credit an Ambassador.)And if you extend your services to the maximum of twenty previously offline console owners? You're looking at a 10,000-point payout ($100 worth of old games you probably have tucked away in cart form, plus all those WiiWare options) -- not bad, eh?But wait! There's a more tempting perk to this promotion. As Ambassador, once you connect ten users, you'll achieve "gold status" and be free to download all first-party NES titles on Virtual Console. Oh, but it gets far better: Hit your twenty connections and -- you guessed it -- you've attained "platinum status," essentially granting you the keys to Nintendo's Virtual Console catalog. That's right, all first- and third-party NES, SNES and N64 games -- for free.Quick! Google map the twenty nearest old folks homes and get ambassadoring!

click for gallery Konami has decided to dip its massive toes into the murky waters of the DSiWare platform with Reflection, a downloadable puzzle-platformer designed to invoke the handheld's dual-screen capabilities. In the game, you play as Kirra, an adventurer on a journey to recover a broken magic mirror. Actually, you play as Kirra's good and evil halves simultaneously on the two screens -- a nasty side-effect of the aforementioned mirror-breaking. Though the game's art (seen in the gallery below) isn't exactly stunning, that concept actually sounds pretty neat. According to the game's press release announcement, it's set to drop this fall, so we should be seeing Reflection in the DSi Shop soon. We also expect to see it in a snow-covered hill, shortly before the landslide brings us down.

Eurogamer reports that Nedgame, Holland's "largest specialized retail outlet," won't sell the PSP Go when it launches this October. The €250 price for the device (the PSP-3000 sells for €80 [$117] less), along with the absence of UMD drive, is cited as justification for the boycott. It's speculated that the core reason Nedgame doesn't want to sell the device is because the company won't be able to sell games with the handheld -- and, well, selling games is how game stores typically make money.According to Eurogamer, Nedgame isn't the only no-Go retailer in Europe, with Eurogamer Spain also claiming to hear whispers from retailers refusing to sell the handheld. We've yet to hear of any North American retailers officially boycotting the system.

Listen, are you sure you wanna do this? You've made it so far without Brutal Legend spoilers and you're so close to the game actually coming out ... do you really want to watch the first five minutes of the game? ... Oh, sure, we watched it. We watched it and it was spectacular. But you shouldn't. Not you, dear reader. You're better than that.

Of all the classic franchises we expected to be resurrected, ClayFighter was right up there with Aero the Acrobat. But we suppose there's room for everyone at the table, as Interplay has announced that they'll be bringing the bulbous brawler to WiiWare and DSiWare. Crafted by some of the team behind the original game (now operating under the name StudioBlack Games), the updates will sport revamped graphics and gameplay. It's due in summer of 2010, so hopefully you have plenty of time to recommit Ickybod Clay's move set to memory.

I think this reviewer might be wrong, but I haven’t had a chance to check out for myself. A portion of a GameSpy review… Even with the flaws in Scribblenauts’ controls and the level editor — which only allows you to make levels for use on your own card, and not share them with others [...]